Gardner T Hamilton

I have been a Pro Wedding photographer for 29 years. I often analyze myself with “What’s my style” and “do I have a style” type of questions but after years of travelling and shooting with such a diverse range for clients, cultures, ceremonies and traditions it is clear that my couples are my style . The couples who reserve me do so because we are compatible as people and the result is then mutually pleasing.

As with this array of wedding images from around the globe I always look for the possibility to include something personal to each couple, be it their love for Chess, Skiing, music, cycling or even super hero’s. An image with a personal connotation becomes more and more valued by couples as time goes on.
After over 1000 wedding assignments completed it is clear for me that telling the story of the wedding to the Bride and Groom through images has become rather easy now , after all, they wrote and star in the story, so I always challenge myself to be able to tell the story to people who were not at the wedding thus not just photographing what is presented to the photographer but photographing what manifests by the coming together of certain people on such a day.
I call it the Alchemy of wedding photography, capturing the sentiment of the day, catching the little interactions, reactions and emotions that lead the viewer down the sentimental highway in which the Bride, Groom and guests travelled at each particular wedding. All too often couples remove the artistic posed portraits after year or two and replace it with a huge hugging photo or a simple hand in hand shot. The real images come from the spontaneous capture on the day. The posed images can effectively be done any day of any week but that congratulations hug from Dad or that kiss with Grandma are the unique fragments of time that any good wedding photographer has to be hunting for to ensure unique and timeless images are provided.
My advice is always give your photographer the freedom to be creative, after all you picked him/her based on the images you seen of their work so give them autonomy to do the same for you at your wedding. Let them decide 90% of the images that should make them album cut and let them decide what images are Black and White and which should be Color as there are very strong reasons that controls a photographers mind when making these choices.
Finally….it has to be fun. You and your photographer have to get on, be able to communicate and understand each other’s roles and be able to laugh and relax in each other’s company. Very few wedding photographers will ever refuse to take a wild or crazy photo and are usually always open to trying something different so don’t be shy to share even your wackiest of ideas.
I can truly say that without open minded and willing clients who trust in me to make unique images for them to portrait them as a couple and represent their wedding day … without these types of people and our special relationships my portfolio may be rather dull.
Have a great wedding
Gardner Hamiltonwww.GardnerHamilton.com